It's been a while . . .

Since I posted. For one thing, I have an actual job. Plus some rental properties. Plus two kids. And I was traveling for work. Oh, and I'm planning a charity event. So much as I'd love to sit around and  have impure thoughts about my kitchen all day, alas, I have to pay the bills. But the good news is that my kitchen wall can come down! So now I'm like a dog that chased a car and caught it - what the hell do I do now? I'm paralyzed with anxiety and fear about what to do first, second, third - well you get the drift. Lo and behold, today my Jenn-Air catalog - er, "lifestyle book" - came in the mail, replete with a heavy black envelope. I will read this later, in bed!

So where to start? Well, back at square one with a kitchen design. First I made an appointment at a major home improvement center - I live in Atlanta, so you can figure out where. At first I thought the consultant would be very helpful - until he suggested putting the sink and dishwasher in the island, away from the main part of the kitchen. Um, no, thanks, that doesn't work. Next stop - IKEA. I think this is where kitchen porn was born. Everything is so tidy, modern, clean, perfect. And of course Swedish; so  blond, fresh and smart - like ABBA or a certain nanny-turned trophy wife-turned wealthy divorcee. With the right kitchen, I'd be writing like Steig Larsson in no time. The thing is, I didn't actually want IKEA cabinets but I wanted inspiration. I'm pretty independent, but there's too much self-service involved, too. If I'm spending all that money on a kitchen, I want someone to at least design it for me. But lo and behold - IKEA contracts with a company that will do a full design for about $200! No obligation! Really how could I not do that. And you know what? The design is almost perfect! So now I have a plan. Step one,  done! But what do I do next?